Visions Of
by CartoonNerd12
Summary: A Zootopia Version of the Nutcracker. When Judy and Nick spend their first Clawsmas together, Judy has a dream that takes them to an enchanted world.
1. Chapter 1

It was Judy's first Clawsmas in Zootopia and Nick was planning to take his partner around Zootopia. He wanted to show her how each district celebrated Clawsmas in their own way as soon as the ZPD's Clawsmas' party was done, which is why he was heading to her apartment door right now to escort her to it. He knocked and shouted out.

"Carrots? Are you ready to go? You know Clawhauser went through a lot of effort to make this party a good one!"

She shouted out, "I'll be right here! I just need to finish packing!"

 _Packing? What is she packing for?_

"Um, Carrots, would you mind letting me in?"

Judy did let him in and when he walked in, he could hear her nosy neighbors singing carols that were loud and off-key. He looked down on her bed and sure enough, a suitcase was out as it was being packed with clothes and personal items.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Didn't I tell you?" she questioned.

"Tell me what?"

"Shoot, I guess not…" She gave a sincere apologetic smile, "I guess I was so busy preparing that I didn't get the chance to tell you. I'm heading back to Bunnyburrow for the holidays."

"You're going home? Why?"

"Because, Nick, it's traditional for my family to get together for Clawsmas." Her eyes went all dreamy as she described the whole thing, "We always have a big feast, eat cookies, and decorate the tree. My dad dresses up as Santa Claws for the little ones, and come Clawsmas morning, we open presents!"

"Oh…" Nick gave a disappointed look.

She gave a concerned look, "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." he stated.

She frowned, "It most certainly is not 'nothing'. I know you sounded happy when you were outside that door, but the minute I said I was leaving, you became upset. What's going on?"

He gave a slight chuckle, "There's no fooling you, Carrots…The truth is I was hoping to show you what Zootopia was like during Clawsmas. You see, I figured you would like that because I do it every year as part of my tradition. Finnick didn't like doing with me, so it was just me, but I thought this year would be different. Just you and me, Carrots. Spending Clawsmas together."

The bunny was speechless until she smacked her forehead, "I'm such an idiot! I should have asked if you had any plans! Nick, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, Carrots. You were thinking about Clawsmas with your family, and I can't blame you for that. I have fond memories of spending Clawsmas with my family as a kit."

"But I hate leaving you here all alone on Clawsmas."

"Don't be. I've done it before, so what's another Clawsmas?"

"I don't think so." She started reaching for her phone, "I'll just call my parents and tell them I can't come…"

"Touch that phone and I'll never speak to you again." He sighed, "Look, it's my fault too for not asking about your plans, and I should have realized that with your large family, they would want you to come. I was just excited by the fact that I was going to have my best friend with me this Clawsmas and show her the sights. But it wasn't to be."

She came up and wrapped her arms around him, "Oh, you foxes, so emotional…" Then her brow furrowed in thought before she let out a big grin, "Hey, why don't you come with me?!"

He moved out of her embrace in shock, "What?!"

"Come on, it's a great idea! You want to spend Clawsmas with me and I want to spend it with both my friend and family! Please, Nick, it would mean a lot to the both of us…"

He gave a small smile. She was right about that. But then he gave a concerned look, "But will they even like me? I know I met your parents and they met me, but what about the rest of your family? Will they appreciate a fox coming into their burrow?"

She slightly cringed. She knew some of her older relatives had the same backwards attitude that her parents displayed in the past before they opened their minds to the possibilities of having predators as allies such as Gideon Grey.

Nick saw the look on her face and said, "Maybe next year, Carrots. And next time, we'll make sure to tell our plans ahead of time."

"Oh, no, you don't. If you ask me, this is the perfect time to get some of my relatives to accept unity between predator and prey. And what better way to do that than to introduce my own partner who happens to be predator?"

He gave her an unsure look, but deep down, he wanted to spend Clawsmas with her. He hated to admit it himself, but his last few Clawsmases were fairly lonely and he was really looking forward to this Clawsmas now that he had someone to share it with. With a sigh, he said, "Alright, after the party, we'll pack up my things and catch the train to Bunnyburrow."

She gave a squeal and hugged him fiercely.

* * *

The train ride to Bunnyburrow was nerve-wrecking for Nick, so he tried to take his mind off it by remembering the office party where all the officers had a blast. Ben dressed up as Santa Claws and on occasion, he and some of their other co-workers tried to get Nick and Judy under the mistletoe. But the only one who managed to do that was the Chief when he ordered it. Naturally, everyone thought they would get to see a real kiss, but Judy just gave him a kiss on the cheek, sweet but simple.

It seemed Judy had read his mind as she said with a smirk, "Still upset for not getting a real kiss?"

"Oh, you crack me up, Carrots."

"Still, if we ever had a real kiss, I want it to be on our own time, not when everyone else wants it."

"The kiss on the cheek was a good loop-hole. After all, do the rules say you have to kiss on the _lips_?"

"I don't think so. Whenever you're under mistletoe, you have to kiss, but it never said what kind of kiss." she smiled.

Nick was grateful for the distraction, so he started asking questions about her hometown.

"Oh, you'll love it! There's wide open spaces, not like in Zootopia where everything is crowded. Then in town, we have a baked goods store run by Gideon…"

"He's the guy that clawed you, right?" Nick still got upset at the fact a fox clawed his best friend back when she was nine.

She sighed, "Yes. But I keep telling you, he's not like that anymore. In fact, I have him as a close contact since he's partners with my parents, much like how you and I are partners on the force."

"How did they take the news that I was coming with you?"

"They were actually pleased. Of course, they're going to have to set up a spare room big enough, but I think they'll manage."

When they had arrived at the Bunnyburrow station, snow was falling lightly around them as Judy led him to where her family's house was. Once they reached the door, Judy turned the doorknob and a swarm of little bunnies surrounded her.

"Judy's here!"

"Hi, Aunt Judy!"

"Cousin Judy!"

"Judy, look, I got a loose tooth!"

Judy giggled, "Yes, it's good to see you all again."

"Hey, that's the fox we saw on TV with you!"

Nick made an awkward wave and the bunnies then swarmed around, asking various questions he couldn't seem to hear all at once.

Stu's voice then said, "All right now, kids! Time to go wash up for dinner!"

They groaned, but then left.

Nick sighed in relief as Stu came up to him, "Not used to little ones hanging around you?"

"Oh, he can handle one little one…" Judy smirked at him.

Nick glared back, but his expression softened and mentally chuckled, thinking of his and Finnick's scam of the smaller fox acting like a toddler.

Judy took his paw, "Come on. We have a lot of introducing to do…"

He winced. _Maybe I shouldn't have come after all…_

* * *

Some time after the feast was over, Nick was getting into the spirit of the Hopps household traditions. He quite enjoyed seeing the kids practically light up when Stu - dressed as Santa - came into the room and asked them if they had been good or not. He and Judy went crazy when it came to making cookies and he still had some frosting on his fur. But his favorite part of the evening had to have been when it was time to watch some of the Hopps' old movies and one of Judy's older brothers made a suggestion that perked his interest.

"Let's watch Judy's stage play she made back when we were kids!"

"Yeah!" the rest of the siblings agreed.

"Stage play?" he questioned to the rabbit next to him, who had a look of horror on her face.

"How about we don't…?" she said to her brothers and sisters.

Stu held up the DVD, "I got it right here!" He started putting it in.

"Dad! No!"

Too late, Stu put it in and the screen showed a nine-year-old Judy on a stage saying, " _Fear. Treachery. Bloodlust. Thousand years ago, these were the forces that ruled our world. A world where prey were scared of predators. And predators had an uncontrollable biological urge… to maim, and maul, and…"_ The cheetah cub made his feeble roar as she dramatically said, " _Ah! Blood! Blood! Blood!"_ She made a big scene and used the ketchup bottle, _"And… death…"_

Nick made a slight laugh and looked at the grown-up Judy, who was covering her face in embarrassment. He kept watching the home movie.

" _Back then, the world was divided into two. Vicious predator…or meek prey…But over time, we evolved and moved beyond our primitive, savage ways. Now predator and prey live in harmony…and every young mammal has multitudinous opportunities…"_

Nick whispered to her with a smirk, "This explains so much…"

Judy looked up with her fingers still covering her face and glared.

He turned back in time to see the young Judy saying, " _And I can make the world a better place…I am going to be…a police officer!"_ There was a laugh off-screen and a voice that said.

 _"_ _Bunny cop! That's the most stupidest thing I ever heard!"_

Nick can only guess who that was and it was confirmed when young Judy said, " _It may seem impossible to small minds…I'm looking at you, Gideon Grey…"_

Nick said, "Good one, Carrots." But when he turned his head, he could see she was not there. He saw Bonnie nudging her head to the door and he quickly went to find his Carrots outside on the porch watching the snow falling down.

Judy had a guilty expression on her face. Nick approached her and she sighed, "I'm so sorry…"

"For what?"

"For making that stage play… I guess I didn't realize it had more of an effect on me when I grew up…"

"Carrots, you were nine. You can't blame yourself for something you did fifteen years ago."

"You're not mad?"

"How can I be mad? We already went though this with the press conference and now seeing this movie and knowing what happened to you with Gideon, I can't be upset at you." He took her paw, "Judy, you and I, we're changing the world. It's important we look back at our past mistakes and learn from them. You could have still thought those things, but you don't, because you know better now."

She smiled and wrapped herself around him.

"You bunnies really are so emotional…"

She pulled away and smirked, "Of course we are. That's what makes us feel close to our families, and speaking of families…I got a couple of siblings to get back at for making me watch that movie."

He smirked, "Need some help?"

"Don't I always? When you're around…?"

"Good point." he smiled as they went back inside.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: I want to thank you all for your patience it's been a busy week for me and my editor but now that school is done for the year, I can focus more on this story.**_

* * *

As it was getting late, the young ones were told they had to get ready for bed. Judy decided to check on her younger siblings and make sure they were doing that. As she was passing the bedrooms, she heard ballet music that sounded like "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" going on and saw her little sister Kathy wearing a tutu and imitating ballet moves.

Kathy saw her big sister and said excitedly, "Judy!"

She smiled, "Shouldn't you be in bed? You know Santa Claws won't come if you're not asleep."

"I'm just too excited!" she twirled around.

"I see you still love ballet." She looked around her sister's room, seeing posters of famous ballets like 'Swine Lake' and 'Sleeping Beaver'.

"And why wouldn't I? It's what I want to do."

"You want to be a ballerina?"

"Yes! Just like you wanted to be a police officer!"

Judy was touched by this, but she knew she had to ease her sister that getting what she wanted was no easy task. "That's wonderful, Kathy, but you know it took me a long time to get my dream job…"

"I know that. I hope that if I train real hard, I'll be a star!"

"And you will be, but you need plenty of rest first, starting now."

Kathy grabbed a book on her bookshelf, "Okay, but can you read me my favorite Clawsmas story? It'll help me fall asleep."

Judy took it and saw the title The Nutcracker. "Oh, I remember this. Mom used to read this to me when I was your age. Good choice."

Once Kathy got in the bed, Judy started reading the story.

When her little sister was fast asleep, Judy went back to the living room to join the rest of her family and Nick. It turned out that things were going well between them as Nick said something that caused half the room to laugh in merriment. The fox noticed her and motioned her to come over.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Reading a bedtime story to my little sister." She turned to her parents, "Have you considered getting ballet lessons for Kathy?"

"We're trying." said Bonnie. "Since you managed to fulfill your dream, we're trying to help the others fulfill theirs."

Stu pointed, "Daniel wants to be a firefighter, Garry wants to be a mechanic, Abby wants to be a doctor, and Melissa wants to be a model!"

Nick gave an amused chuckle, "You really are an inspiration, Carrots!"

"Well, I'm glad! It's time that we start dreaming big so we can achieve our goals in life!"

Stu said, "If any of them try as hard as you, I have no doubt they will."

"I know Kathy will. I can see in her eyes she really wants to be a ballerina."

Bonnie asked, "What was the story you read to her?"

"That story you used to read to us when we young, the one about the nutcracker and the mouse king."

Nick said thoughtfully, "I think I remember that story… My mom used to read that to me when I was a kit."

Stu then checked a nearby clock on the wall. "Cheese and crackers, it's getting late. We better get to bed because come Clawsmas morning, you're going to end up waking to the sound of a hundred young bunnies cheering loudly at dawn."

Judy said to her partner, "He's right, and you're not an early riser, so you need all the rest you can get."

He joked, "Yes, Mom…"

She giggled as they left the room before saying good-night to everyone.

* * *

Judy lied in her bed as memories of past Clawsmases came to her and how she thought that this Clawsmas was the best so far because she got to spend it with her best friend. She then thought of the story she read to her sister and slowly fell asleep…

A grand party was happening all around her in a large manor. She could see her parents were dancing and so were some of her siblings and their mates. The younger ones were playing by the tree and some were trying to guess which presents belonged to them. There were other mammals at the party that were all prey, but she focused on a shrew who was on a table sitting in an armchair, watching the party as well. She went to him with a big smile on her face.

"How are you enjoying the party, Uncle Big?"

The shrew gave her a half-hearted smile, "It is fine. But the only reason I came was to see you, my dear. You are, after all, my favorite goddaughter."

"Aw, Uncle."

"But don't tell the others that."

"I won't."

"I do have a special gift for you, but I'm waiting till the end of the party to give it."

"Good idea, because if my younger siblings saw you giving me a present, there will be a lot of fighting."

"Why don't you join the dance in the meantime?"

"I'd rather stay by you. You look so lonely."

He smiled, "You have a kind heart, my child, but surely you'd like to dance with one of the eligible mammals in this room."

She shook her head, "None of them really catch my interest, Uncle. No, I'm waiting for that special someone who will be my one and only. Silly, I know…"

Big took hold of her finger and patted it, "No, it's not silly at all. Have faith my dear, for he could be coming very soon…"

* * *

Once the party started dying down, her parents were saying good-bye to their guests and her siblings were saying their good nights and heading to bed. The only ones left were Big and Judy as she waited for him to give her the present.

"Look in the tree." he instructed her.

She gave a confused look, but went anyway and found a gifted box within the branches. It was high enough so the young ones could not get it earlier that night. She grabbed it and opens it in front of the shrew.

Once she saw what was inside, she gaped. It was a nutcracker, but it was also a fox nutcracker! She noticed the fox was slim while wearing a green and gold uniform. He had a bit of a mischievous look on his face and had the most beautiful emerald eyes she ever seen. Wait, what? Why would she think that?

Big saw her confusion and said, "A very rare item I found. Not many mammals would craft a fox for a nutcracker."

"But… why give it to me?"

"Because I know you don't judge a mammal's appearance and had I given it to anyone but you…"

He didn't have to finish, she knew. If her parents or siblings had this, they would have been disgusted or destroyed the item. Judy knew that foxes were an ancient enemy to rabbits, but they had evolved overtime and predators were not like they were before. Her own godfather associated with polar bears, but he didn't tell Judy's parents that, knowing how squeamish they got by the mention of predators. But one look at Judy and he knew how different she was from the rest of her family.

"I must go now, my dear, but I hope you enjoy the present."

"I'll cherish it always, Uncle." She held her paws out so he could get in them and led him to the door.

He said his good-nights to her parents and left.

She then asked her parents while hiding the nutcracker behind her back, "Mother, Father? May I sleep down here tonight?"

They exchanged uncertain looks, but eventually agreed.

* * *

The witching hour was fast approaching and with it, mice of all sizes were squeezing out of cracks in the wall. A chubby mouse wearing regal clothing and a crown on his head came out last. He gave orders to the other mice to scavenge for goods and they started raiding the buffet table that had leftovers from the party.

While that had been going on, Judy was sleeping soundly as her nutcracker was on the floor staying perfectly still until suddenly, he started moving and gave out a gasp.

"Big! That's the last time I let you put an immobilization spell on me!" He then looked up to see the large sleeping bunny. He had been under a spell, but he was still aware of his surroundings. He hated Big for shrinking him and putting him in a box until he was freed by a lovely bunny with sparkling amethyst eyes, only to realize Big had given him as a present to her. It was true he wasn't on good terms with the shrew, but he didn't expect him to cast a spell on him and to be given away like some toy.

He then heard the scurrying of mice and hid himself under the sofa where the rabbit was sleeping.

But Judy wasn't asleep for long as a mouse had accidently moved a dish at the edge of the table and it crashed. She woke up with a startle and saw the mice stop what they were doing and stare up at her.

"Hey, what are all of you doing inside my house?" she scowled.

The giant mouse then came forth and made a bow, "Forgive us, dear maiden, for we are hungry and we were just passing by…"

"Ha!" said a voice, and to Judy's surprise, her nutcracker was alive and was shouting up at the mouse! "That's a lie bigger than all the other lies you have ever told, Mousey! Admit it. You were stealing from this bunny!"

The large mouse scowled, "And if we were? What could you do about it, Nicholas? You're our size now!" he smirked.

"Not for long…"

Judy gasped as she turned to see her godfather was on top of the grandfather clock wearing a top hat and cape. He then took out a long black stick and waved it. Sparks came out and started surrounding the fox as he slowly started to grow. She noticed that the fox was taller than her and it slightly intimidated her.

The red fox smirked to the mouse, "You were saying?"

"Ugh! Retreat!" he ran off the table and was joined by his army as they made for the cracks.

"And don't come back!" Judy yelled as the last mouse disappeared and turned to her godfather. She was at a loss for words, "Uncle Big, how…? Why…?"

The fox said, "Yeah, Big, I want some answers, too, like… Why did you immobilize, shrink, _and_ stick me in a box?!"

"Do not worry, I will explain everything. For starters, Judy, not only am I your godfather, but I am also the rightful King of the Land of Sweets."

She gaped, "What…?"

"Believe it or not, _Carrots,_ it's true."

Judy looked at the fox and scowled, "What did you call _me_?!"

"You heard me. I said 'Carrots'," he then smirked.

She flicked her ear in annoyance before turning back to the shrew, "I don't understand. If you're a king, then why are you not dressed up like a king?"

"Because, my child, I was overthrown by that mouse you just saw. He used to be my prime advisor until he kidnapped my daughter, Princess Fru-Fru. His demands were I hand him my entire kingdom over and I would get my daughter back. I did as he asked, but the mouse had broken his promise and instead decided he would marry my daughter to legally have the throne. I was forced into exile along with my captain of the guard and a small group of knights that still proclaimed their loyalty to me.

"We had enlisted the help of some of my subjects, but there are others too afraid of the Mouse King to do anything. So I knew I needed to rely on a spy to keep me informed of what the mouse was planning."

"And that's where I come in, Carrots," he said as he took pleasure in her getting irritated at that nickname.

"And just who are you anyway?"

"Nicholas Wilde." he said proudly.

"Yes," said Big, "Nicholas is what you might call a schemer, but he serves his purpose…"

"Like stuffing me in a box without asking?" he crossed his arms.

"I knew you would not like that, so I said nothing."

"Just why did you bring me here?" he eyed the rabbit. "So I could be this bunny's plaything?"

"Hey!" she flustered at that subtle message.

"No." Big stated, "There's a reason I had brought you here, but I couldn't just bring you along without Judy's parents overreacting, so I had to make you a nutcracker so you would go undetected."

"But that still doesn't explain why I'm here."

"A few weeks ago, I consulted an oracle of how I could reclaim my kingdom and daughter. She told me of a prophecy of two heroes that would stop the mouse king once and for all. It goes like this: Predator and prey alone are they when ancient grudges set them apart, but not for those who have the same heart. A fox and rabbit may seem wrong, but united, they'll stand strong."

They gaped as Nick uttered, "And you think I'm that fox?"

"And I'm that rabbit?" inquired Judy.

Big nodded, "You two are my only hope of rescuing my daughter and to take back what rightfully belongs to me."


	3. Chapter 3

"This is crazy!" shouted Judy. "There are plenty of rabbits and foxes out there! Why would we be the ones that prophecy was talking about?"

"As much as I hate to agree with a bunny, I'm totally upset by all of this."

Judy frowned, "I have a name, you know…"

"Sure you do. It's Carrots."

She firmly said, "No. My name is Judy."

"Whatever, I'm still going call you Carrots."

"You think I like this?! I find my godfather is really a king, mice invaded my house, and you're not even a real nutcracker! Just a smart-mouthed fox with a bad attitude!"

"Hey, I never asked to be here! I was brought here against my will! Thanks to your so-called godfather, just how did that happen anyway?"

They faced the shrew as he said, "I have traveled quite a lot in my past. I have made many allies and in doing so, I befriended the Hopps, who were of noble birth and had a strong sense of family just like me. And when you were born, Judy, they decided to name me godfather to your litter."

"But that still doesn't explain why you think I'm the rabbit in that prophecy."

"It is as I've told you: you don't judge someone for their appearance and you refuse to let ancient pasts get the better of you, unlike the rest of your family."

"Then why do you think I'm the fox?" Nick furrowed his brow.

"You come from a noble family, Nicholas. Your parents were my dear friends and when they had passed on, I was asked to watch over you, but you were led astray by Mortimer."

Judy questioned, "Mortimer?"

Nick replied, "The mouse king."

The shrew continued, "When I was overthrown, Mortimer had made Nicholas his right-paw fox, but in his good wisdom, Nicholas sought me out and proved he was still loyal to the true king."

Nick whispered, "Actually, it was because I knew Big would eventually be king again and my parents would have been disappointed if I didn't help their friend."

Judy was surprise to hear that. Maybe there was more to the fox than she thought.

Nick said to Big, "But what made you think I was part of a prophecy where I would willingly work with a carrot-munching rabbit?"

"Because, Nicholas, despite what you tell yourself, you're still that young, carefree kit I knew…"

The fox scowled, "That part of me is gone forever…"

"I do not think so… For now, you have lost the ability to hope and dream. You do not think that anything good could come to you anymore, but Judy has hopes and dreams. Even if something bad happens, she overcomes it. Which is why I believe you two should team up and learn from each other."

"With him?!"

"With her?!"

"The prophecy clearly states: A fox and rabbit may seem wrong, but united, they'll stand strong."

Judy slowly said, "Well… I don't know if I can believe in this prophecy, but I do know that you need help and your daughter needs rescuing. I will go and bring her back to you."

Nick laughed, "Ha! You?! You don't even know where you're going or what you're up against! If anyone is going to rescue the princess," he pointed to himself with a smug look, "…it'll be me."

She fumed.

"You will _both_ go." Big stated firmly. He waved his wand and a portal appeared behind them. They faced it as the shrew told them, "Once you go through, you'll be in the snowy parts of my kingdom. It is looked after by my good friends Lord and Lady Otterton, who they will be waiting for you. From there, they will tell you where to go to meet with the resistance."

Nick groaned, "We moved the base again?"

"We had to. The guards who work for Mortimer were getting too close."

"Aren't you coming with us, Uncle?" Judy questioned.

"I will join you shortly, my child, but it's best you two go alone to avoid suspicion."

Nick said sarcastically, "Right… there's nothing suspicious about a rabbit and a fox traveling together…" But one look from the shrew and he cleared his throat nervously.

Big gestured, "Judy, a quick word if you please."

She went to him and leaned forward so he could whisper in her ear, "My dear, have patience with Nicholas and get to know him."

"I don't know… He doesn't seem to like me so much… Especially since he's given me a name I hate."

"He feels he cannot trust you, but if you give it time, you will see… I plead to you, goddaughter, that you will try to get along with him… For this prophecy is the only thing keeping my hopes up that I will, at last, reunite with my daughter…"

Judy gave a sympathetic look and just nodded.

Big smiled, "Thank you. Now go. I do not know how long my daughter can rebuff Mortimer's advances."

Judy leaned in so he could kiss her on both cheeks, much to Nick's bewilderment. She then went toward the portal, taking a deep breath before going in.

Nick turned to the shrew, "I'll give it to her, she's got guts for a cute bunny." Then he went into the wormhole before it disappeared.

* * *

Mortimer grunted as he sat on top of his small stolen throne that was on a large table in the middle of the grand throne room. Beside him were two mice guards and beside the table were two larger guards that were a hippo and rhino. Mortimer was able to overthrow the king by charming the servants and some of the royal court to be by his side. Of course, he had to threaten some of them since he stole magic from the king. He used that magic to keep himself in power while Big only had some magic left to help him with the resistance.

He was running out of time, however. He needed to wed the princess or else Big would rise up again and take back his crown. But the prissy shrew was being very uncooperative.

He told one of his larger guards, "Bring me the princess."

The hippo nodded and left the room. Shortly after, he came back with a female polar bear that was the princess' lady-in-waiting and she had the shrew in her paws as she gently set her down on the table.

Fru scowled at the mouse and turned away from him.

The mouse ordered to the other mammals, "Leave us."

The mouse guards went into the paws of the other guards and once they were gone, the king went to the stubborn princess.

"You are only delaying the inevitable." he stated.

"I will not marry you." she firmly replied.

"But marrying me means you can rule the kingdom as you were always destined for."

"It's true I was always meant to be queen after my father, but that wasn't supposed to happen until after he passed on. So I refuse to take the crown ahead of time."

"But if he wasn't alive now, would you have considered marriage with me then?"

"Even if my father wasn't alive, I would still refuse you."

He was on the edge of losing it, but he kept his cool and rationally asked, "And why is that?"

"Because I don't love you. How can I? You took everything from my father and me! How can I marry someone who is so cruel to others? My father wasn't perfect, but he at least cared! And if I married you, it would feel like I had betrayed him and my kingdom!"

He scowled, "You're really starting to bug me."

She smirked, "Well, it's a good thing you're not marrying me, then."

"Guards!" he shouted and they came. "Escort _Her Highness_ back to her cage."

Fru made a humph sound and went into the rhino guard's hand. Once they were in the hallway, she looked up and whispered, "Have you heard anything?"

The guard, Sir Mchorn, quietly replied, "The captain has sent word that your father was looking into something, but he doesn't know what that was."

"Daddy always has a plan. He wouldn't be following something all willy-nilly if he didn't believe it could work." By then, they had reached the tower where Fru's lady-in-waiting was held. Hanging from the ceiling was a cage where Mchorn had to set his princess in and locked her in, much to his displeasure.

He gave an apologetic look as he said, "I'll keep that in mind. Frankly, I'm getting tired of following a mouse."

She nodded in understanding, "His power is too great at the moment, so we can't rebel."

"I really hope King Big has the solution we need."

* * *

Judy fell out of the portal and landed face first into the snow.

Nick had walked out of the portal like it was no big deal. When he saw the bunny, he amusingly said, "First time using a portal?"

She looked up and glared at him while getting up on her feet. She would have loved to wipe the smug look on his face, but remembering what she promised her godfather, she merely walked on.

Nick stood there and called out, "Hey, Carrots! You're going the wrong way."

She stopped and turned back with a forced smile on her face, "Then why don't you go first to show me the way? And also, you're going to refrain from calling me _Carrots_."

"Aw, is it," he spoke in baby-talk, "hurting your feelings?"

"No, it's just annoying."

"Well, too bad, because I like annoying people."

"I figured that, but we're forced to work together, so I would appreciate it if you would stop."

"Okay, then. How about I call you something else like… Fluff? Cottontail?" He gave a toothy grin, " _Sweetheart…?"_

"No, no, and definitely _no._ "

"Hey, it's either one of those or 'Carrots'. Take your pick."

She grinded her teeth before calming herself and sighed, "Fine. We'll go with 'Carrots'."

He gave a triumphant look as he moved in front of her and went on. They had walked in silence as Judy had been fuming from the exchange. She suddenly recalled what Big said about Nick being a carefree kit before things had changed. She wanted to get into more about that, but she knew she would have to earn the fox's trust first, so she decided she would have to play along until he opened up.

"So if you were born into a noble family, what were you? A duke? A count? A lord?"

He stated, "Baron."

"Baron? Well, that's impressive."

"Except the mouse king stripped it from me when he found out I was working for Big."

"Yeah, I saw he wasn't happy to see you. Any particular reason?"

"Well, I am a _fox._ It's what we do…" he said bitterly.

Judy sucked in her breath. Obviously she was going to have to change topics, so she instead said, "What about the resistance? How did you get into that?"

"There are guards who are still loyal to Big, but they didn't say so as that was Bogo's plan the moment Big was overthrown. He had made sure to have his most trustworthy guards planted inside the castle while he and a group of sentries tried to take down the mouse, but they failed. I was already on Mortimer's side the time of the overthrowing.

"But as time went on, I realized the mouse wasn't so different from other mammals, so I told Mchorn that I wanted to help get Big back and he told me where to find him. Turns out I was great asset because I was able to spy better than the guards and was able to get battle plans and such…until one of his mousey guards saw what I was doing and snitched on me. That's when I was stripped of my noble status and was forced to run."

"Then Big stuffed you in the box?"

"No, he immobilized, shrunk, and _then_ stuffed me in a box."

"Ah. Right. I forgot."

He frowned, "And you're totally not sorry for my plight, are you?"

She said innocently, "Nope."


	4. Chapter 4

The mouse king paced back and forth. There had to be some way to force that princess to marry him. Big was that much closer to returning to power, especially since he saw him in that bunny's house. He was hoping to conquer more lands, but in order to do that, he needed more allies. He was hoping to recruit the bunnies that owned that land, but Nicholas - the traitorous fox - and Big were already there preventing that from happening.

He went to a window that oversaw the entire Land of Sweets and an evil thought occurred to him. If _he_ could not force the princess's hand, then maybe her subjects could…

He called for his guards and said, "I need you to scour the lands and bring in mammals from all around. Set them to work in the mines and fields until the princess gives her consent to be my wife."

Mchorn was on the verge of lashing out, but remembering the last orders given to him by his captain, he held his tongue and obeyed the little tyrant's command.

* * *

Nick and Judy trotted through the snow, but as much as their fur was able to keep them warm, they needed to get out of the cold soon since it was almost dark. The two spent the day either in silence or bickering, given they were forced into this in the first place. The prophecy didn't help as it was just a reminder of why they were together in the snow right now.

But luckily, a manor came into view and Nick declared, "There it is!" He rushed ahead as two wolf guards guarded the entrance. They glared at the fox, but their faces softened when he said, "Tell Lord and Lady Otterton that Nicholas is here."

A white wolf went inside, and when he came back, he permitted the fox in. Judy tried to follow after, but the wolves blocked her path. She called to the fox, "Uh, Nick?"

He looked back, took in the scene, and stood there.

She glared, thinking, _He's going to leave me out here, isn't he?_

But he surprised her when he said, "The rabbit's with me, boys. Let her pass."

Her eyes widened in amazement. Once the wolves moved aside, she went up to the fox, "For a second there, I thought you were going to leave me out in the cold."

He smirked, "The thought crossed my mind, but it would have meant big repercussions later if Big ever found out."

"Ah," was all she said as she thought, _Of course he was only doing it to save his tail from Godfather's wrath… He doesn't care about me._

But at the same time, Nick secretly thought, _As tempting as it was to leave her out there, I couldn't do it. She's a cute bunny, after all, and wouldn't last a night out in this cold. And as much as I fear Big for what he might have done to me, the thought of her of being dead and frozen in the snow is worst…_

When they walked into the warm foyer, two otters dressed in regal clothing came down to greet them.

Lord Emmitt and his wife had lived in the manor with their two young children, who were currently getting ready for bed as their parents went down to greet their guests.

"Big told us that you were arriving with company, Nicholas." said Emmitt.

"She's hardly company. Big told me I was forced to work with her."

Judy grumbled, "Same here."

Lady Otterton went up to the rabbit and held her paws, "What is your name, dear?"

"Judy Hopps." she smiled at the kind otter.

"Well, you are just chilled to the bone, Judy. Come, I shall have the servants serve you up some hot soup and tea and then we'll get you to a nice warm bed for the night."

"Thank you, ma'am." She was then led away by the otter.

Once the girls were out of sight, Nick questioned, "Where is the base? Big told me it had to be moved again."

"About a day's journey through the Rainy Woods."

"Great…"

"Why did Big tell you that you have to work with a rabbit? What's going on?"

Nick sighed and ran his hand over his face before telling the otter, "Apparently, there's some kind of prophecy that says: Predator and prey alone are they when ancient grudges set them apart, but not for those who have the same heart…"

Meanwhile, Judy was finished telling Lady Otterton about why she was stuck with Nick and was now telling about the prophecy her godfather told her about. She said the last sentence, "…A fox and rabbit may seem wrong, but united, they'll stand strong."

"That's amazing…" Lady Otterton uttered, "And Big believes that the fox and rabbit are you two?"

"Yes. He gave his reasons, but I think he's mistaken. Nicholas and I hate each other, so we could never work together to fulfill the prophecy."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. I know Nicholas may seem mean, but give it time and you'll be surprised how kind he really can be…"

"That's what Uncle Big said…"

The lady smiled, "He's a wise king, but he can also have a temper. Lots of mammals may seem what you see them as, but they can have this whole other side to them you never knew about. Take my Emmitt, for example. When we first met, I thought of him as this shy otter until he recited me poetry and gave me exotic flowers. He was very romantic, but he also had this daring side to him. So you see, never judge someone right away."

Judy thought it over and hoped that the otter was right.

Emmitt had shown Nick his guest room after he told him about the prophecy, Big's plan, and his own personal doubts of how it could work.

"So you believe this bunny and you aren't what the prophecy spoke about?"

"She would never like me for what I am…"

"A fox?"

"What else?"

"How much do you know about this bunny?"

"Her name, where she lives, and that she has a smart mouth, that's it."

"Then how can you know for certain that the prophecy won't work? She might actually come to like you."

"How?"

"By spending time with each other."

He scoffed, "Please. We can hardly stand to look at each other, let alone stay in the same room together."

"What other choice do you have? Big wouldn't have resorted to this if he didn't believe it could work."

"Well, he's wrong. Personally, I think he's losing sanity because he's lost his kingdom and daughter."

"And yet you want him back on the throne."

"He'll find some other way to return to power, so as long as it doesn't involve me, I could care less."

The otter could only shake his head, knowing the fox was just hiding his true feelings.

* * *

When Lord and Lady Otterton were getting ready for bed, they went over what Nick and Judy told them.

"The prophecy calls for them to work together, but I can't help but think there's more to it than that," said Lady Otterton.

Emmitt said, "And they both think that the prophecy won't come true."

"Oh, Emmitt, just the fact that they both think alike tells me that they could get along if they would only try."

Emmitt chuckled, "If they were a couple that would guarantee that they could work together and fulfill the prophecy."

She gasped, "Emmitt, that's it! They need to fall in love!"

"What?!"

She recited the foretelling, "Predator and prey alone are they when ancient grudges set them apart, but not for those who have the same heart… A fox and rabbit may seem wrong, but united, they'll stand strong."

"But how can you tell that means they need to fall in love?"

"Because we are of the same heart, Emmitt. We love each other so much that we are united and we stand strong together. That is what needs to happen to Nicholas and Judy. Not even a day and already we know that they were meant for each other. Big chose them because he knew them, so he must have figured that they were a perfect match even before they met."

Emmitt pondered on this before his eyes widened in realization, "You're right, my dear, but now the question is how do they fall in love?"

"That's very simple. We'll keep them here for a few days so they can talk and get to know each other better and then we'll send them on their way."

"But how do we keep them here? Nicholas will want to go to the Rainy Woods to find the base."

"You just leave it to me…"

* * *

The next morning, Judy had woken up to find new, fresh clothes on her bed. It wasn't like the nightdress she wore last night when she arrived at the manor. Instead, the clothing was a tunic and leggings. Judy was grateful for such practical clothing, given she was in a strange land and she had no idea what they were going to encounter. A dress would have been too hard to wear.

Once she had changed, she went down to the dining hall where Lord and Lady Otterton were already up with their two children.

"Ah, Judy, good morning." said Lady Otterton.

"Good morning to you, too. And who are these sweeties?"

Emmitt gestured, "Our children, John and Michael."

"Hello." they both said.

Judy smiled, "It's nice to meet you, too."

Suddenly, a yawn came and she turned to see Nick was wearing a simple green tunic and pants compared to the uniform he wore last night. This attire made him more ruggedly handsome. Then she shook her head for thinking such things, unaware that when Nick saw her in her outfit, he was impressed by how much curvier she was, but reminding himself that he wanted nothing to do with her, no matter how good-looking she was.

"Did you two sleep well?" Lady Otterton asked.

They gave their answer at the same time, "Yes/No."

Emmitt asked, "Come again?"

Judy spoke first, "Yes, I did sleep well. The bed was very comfortable."

"Well, lucky for you…" the fox muttered. "I had it pretty rough last night and getting up this morning wasn't easy. Then again, foxes don't sleep well at night anyway because we prefer to sleep in the day. Mind if I go back to bed?"

"And miss breakfast?" questioned Lady Otterton. "As long as you are up, you might as well stay and eat."

Nick took a seat that was across from Judy, and the two avoided eye contact as much as they could as breakfast was being served to them.

"It snowed pretty hard last night, didn't it, dear?" Lady Otterton addressed her husband.

"It certainly did. I don't think it would be wise to travel until the snow has melted a little."

That got Nick's attention as he said, "Oh, come on! You mean I have to be stuck with this…" He caught himself, knowing there were children listening, "…this… _bunny_ longer?!"

Judy frowned and replied, "I'm not exactly jumping for joy here, either."

John turned to his mother, "Mama, can we go ice-skating later?"

"Of course, sweetie, but you'll have to have a chaperone with you."

Michael looked at Judy, "What about you, Miss Judy?"

Judy questioned, "Me?" Then she beamed, "If you really want me, I can be your chaperone." As she thought, _Anything to avoid Nick since he obviously can't stand being near me. Might as well stay away as much as possible._

John asked, "Do you know how to ice-skate, Miss Judy?"

She smiled at the young otter, "I do."

Nick let out a snicker.

She glared back at him, "What?"

"You? Ice-skating? I find that hard to believe."

"I'll have you know that my family and I skate every winter! I'm not saying I'm spectacular, but at least I can stay up and not fall down once!"

He gave an amused smirk, "I would love to see that. I bet you can't stay up for more than an hour!"

"I can and I will! In fact, I'll stay up for two hours!"

"You're on." he held out his paw and they firmly shook on it.


	5. Chapter 5

Judy felt smug as she skated in circles around the frozen lake with other mammals that lived in the snowy region where the noble house of Otterton resided and ruled over. John and Michael watched in awe as Judy skated. Nick watched on the sidelines, making sure she didn't cheat on their bet or waiting for the chance for her to lose so that he could gloat without end.

But so far, Judy had made it through one whole hour and was almost done with the second hour.

He thought, _Wow. She might actually win this. Good thing we didn't make stakes. No telling what embarrassing thing she would have made me do…_

Suddenly, a snow hare and his pal, a beaver, sat down as they were taking a break from the ice-skating.

The snow hare told his friend, "That pretty bunny sure is a great skater. Maybe once I get back on the ice, she'll let me skate with her."

Nick didn't know why, but he felt threatened by this hare just waltzing up to Judy and skating with her. What did it matter to him? She could skate with whoever she liked, never mind that she knew him longer than this strange hare. Of course… if something were to happen to her like if the hare would cause an accident and she could get hurt… He decided he wouldn't take that chance and skated onto the ice.

Judy twirled around when suddenly, she felt paws grabbing her wrists and she looked back to see Nick. Much to her surprise, he twirled with her.

She slit her eyes, "If this is your attempt to make me lose the bet, you are sadly mistaken."

"I'm not trying to sabotage you. I'm trying to save you from those clumsy skaters that want to skate with you."

"What skaters?"

"That snow hare over there." he gestured to the mammal.

"Hey, I've seen him move on the ice. He's not clumsy."

"You would rather ice-skate with a stranger than someone you already know?"

"But I hardly know you. All I know is your history with the Mouse King and that you used to be a baron, but that's it. I don't know anything else."

"Well, what about you? I just know where you came from and what your connection to Big is, but you haven't shared anything about yourself."

"You didn't seem that interested to get know me, anyway. You don't like how you have to be saddled with a bunny when I never asked for this, either. I don't think a prophecy should decide my fate, but I'm only doing this for my godfather." She moved out of his grasp and gave him a somber expression before getting off the ice, knowing the hour was up.

Nick stood there feeling stunned.

* * *

Judy was getting ready for bed when a knock came at her door. She opened it a crack and was shocked to find Nick standing there.

The fox gave off a guilty look and asked, "May I come in?"

She pondered for a bit before she did let him in. Once he was inside, he asked her to shut the door. She gave him a look of uncertainty. But he reassured her that he only came to talk. So she shut it, but she stayed by the door just in case.

"I would like to make an apology." he said.

Her eyes widened.

He made a slight chuckle, "Yeah, this is a first for me. I've never had to apologize before, but I thought about what you said today and you're right, you didn't ask for this, either. Big may have been more abrasive with me, but he forced you to put up with me, all because of a prophecy that may or may not work. Tell me, Carrots, do you really believe in it?"

She bit her lip, "I don't know. It really all depends on how well we can get along. But if you don't want to be friends, I would understand and it just shows that even prophecies are not set in stone."

"Well, I don't see why we couldn't try. We'll just to see what happens."

She slowly smiled, "Would you like me to go first?"

He motioned, "Go ahead." He sat down on a chair in the corner.

Judy felt a bit more confident and sat on the bed as she started off, "Well, you know I live with my family. I have over 275 brothers and sisters."

"275?!" he gaped.

She sighed, "Yes, 275. Anyway, unlike the rest of my siblings, I have hopes and dreams of traveling to different places, to see the world. But my parents want me to settle down like some of my older siblings have. Some of them already have children, too."

"Talk about pressure…" he muttered. "Then again, I would know all about that…"

"How so?"

"My parents… they had me tutored when I was young. I was their only child, so I was expected to follow the duties that were required for a future baron. When I was older, I got to be part of the royal court. That's when I met Lord and Lady Otterton and… Mortimer… For a mouse, he was very charismatic. I get why Big made him the royal advisor. Too bad he didn't see that Mortimer was a little too charming… I did like that mouse, especially when my parents died. He comforted me in my worst moments and I thought that he would be a better ruler."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Over time, Mortimer got used to his power and he didn't want to listen to me anymore. He didn't care about me anymore."

She shook her head, "That's so sad…"

"Not really. I didn't realize until later he was just using me to get to the throne. He used my grief as a way to earn support."

"That's terrible!"

"That's how it is, Carrots."

"Well, it shouldn't be! That mouse had a lot of nerve breaking into my home, but what he did to you was far worse!"

He gave her a small smile, "Then how about we make sure he's defeated once and for all?"

She smiled back.

Little did they realize that Emmitt had been passing by when he overheard them talking in Judy's bedroom. He smiled as he went on to his own bedchambers and found his wife already in bed reading a book. He climbed in as he told her.

"Well, you did it. By convincing the children to invite Judy along to ice-skate, that got Nicholas thinking she couldn't do it and challenged her. Ironically, it broke the ice between them. I just heard them talking in Judy's guest room when I was coming over here."

She chuckled, "But I couldn't have done it without the help of the snow fairies for making more snow to keep them here. Now that we set the prophecy in motion, all we can do now is wait." She kissed her husband's cheek, set her book down, and blew out the candle so they could go to sleep.

* * *

For the next couple of days, Judy and Nick got better acquainted, but they still bantered with each other and challenged the other. They found themselves on the frozen lake again and were figuring out who the better skater was. John and Michael watched on so they could judge.

Nick skated to a halt in front of the young otters and asked, "So, kids, which one of us was better?" Then he whispered, "You get free sweets if you say me."

Luckily, Judy's ears had picked up on that. She skated toward him and punched his arm, "No bribing the judges!"

John said, "Yeah, you can't buy our vote. Though I think Nicholas was better."

Michael objected, "Well, I think Judy was the better skater!"

"Looks like we have a tie." said Judy with a smirk.

Nick said, "Now what can we do for a tie-breaker?"

John suggested, "How about a race?"

Michael excitedly said, "Yeah! First one back to the manor wins!"

Nick clapped his paws, "You got it. You ready, Carrots?"

"It is on, Slick."

"John, give us the countdown."

"Five, four, three, two, one… Go!"

They were off as they raced through the snow as fast as they could. But as they got closer to the manor, Nick slowed down when he saw what was occurring and ducked behind a snow bank. Judy was about to race on when he grabbed her arm and set her beside him.

"Why did you…?"

He shushed her and gestured to carefully look above the snow. She did and saw the terrible sight.

Emmitt was being taken by a group of large mammals wearing uniforms. Lady Otterton was crying and pleading them to not to take her husband.

Judy heard a rhino saying to her, "Orders from the Mouse King. We are to arrest Lord Otterton and bring him to the castle."

Lady Otterton kept on pleading, but the guards took Emmitt away.

Judy wanted to do something to stop it, but she didn't know how. She slid down the snow and was on the verge of crying.

"They… they took him…"

Nick shook his head, "It's getting worse…"

"We've got to do something!"

"We have to get to the base. They'll need to know about this."

"Shouldn't we at least say goodbye to Lady Otterton and the children?"

"No. We have to get moving if we want to make it through the Rainy Woods before nightfall. Besides, I would be endangering them more if they found me here…"

Judy felt guilty for leaving the otters, but she agreed with Nick and they set out for the Rainy Woods.

* * *

Mortimer was feeling smug when his guards brought in the chained otter that didn't support his rule since the beginning of it.

"At last! I have the great Lord Emmitt Otterton as my prisoner!"

"And why is it you needed me as a prisoner?" Emmitt demanded.

"Let's see: you refused to take part in my rule, supported your old friend the previous king behind my back, offered shelter to refugees that committed treason against me…I got a whole list of offenses here."

"And are my wife and children to be imprisoned as well?"

"Of course not, but I shall have them stripped of their noble status and be left penniless."

"No! I beg you, don't let that happen to them!"

"Then you should have thought of that before refusing me as your king! Take him to the dungeons!"

The guards obeyed, dragging a forlorn otter with them.

Mortimer then turned to Mchorn, "Get the princess."

Mchorn merely nodded as he went. When he came back, the shrew was in his hand and he set her down before the petty king. The rhino left when he was commanded to leave them.

The mouse turned to the lovely shrew, "Now, princess, it has been a few days since my last offer for marriage. Since then, you will find that I have more mammals working in my fields and mines."

"What?!"

"Oh, yes. I figured if you will not marry me on your own, then perhaps you will consider marrying me for the sake of your subjects. You don't want them to suffer just because their princess was too stubborn to marry the king…" He grinned wickedly.

Fru's expression turned dark, "You… evil… monster! How could you do that?!"

"I will give you one week to decide. If you marry me, they all go free. But if not… well, I don't think I need to tell you…"

Fru scowled at this horrible mouse, but inside, she was crying knowing she would have no choice if help didn't come soon.

 _Oh, Daddy… Where are you?_


	6. Chapter 6

Nick and Judy did everything they could to keep themselves from getting wet, but it wasn't called the Rainy Woods for nothing.

"How much further?" she asked.

"It shouldn't be long now." he replied, but even he was wondering if they were any closer to reaching their location.

Then, out of nowhere, they fell into a hidden pit. They yelled before they landed in the bottom.

"Oh, great!" shouted an angry voice. "Now I got to do the whole thing over again!"

Nick looked up, "Finnick? Is that you?!"

A fennec fox appeared at the edge of the pit, "Nick? Don't you know better than to watch your step?!"

The red fox shouted, "Just get us out of here!"

"Us? Who's that in there with you?"

"My name is Judy Hopps, and if you and Nick know each other, then I can assume you're a friend."

The smaller fox replied, "Somewhat. But I guess I better get you out in case more guards come and join you." He went to get a rope and lowered it down to them.

Once they were up, Judy could see the fennec was no bigger than her ankles.

Nick said, "If you're here, that means the base can't be far. Mind pointing us in the right direction?"

"I'll take you there myself, but first I want to know where the heck you've been since meeting with Big and why are you with a rabbit?"

Nick sighed as he told the whole story. When he was done, Finnick was laughing hard.

"He shrunk you?! He actually shrunk you?! And passed you off as a toy?!"

Even Judy couldn't suppress her giggles and said, "Yes, he did."

Nick only glowered as his friend's laughter died down and Finnick went back to being serious.

"So Big thinks this prophecy has something to do with you and this bunny?"

Nick replied, "Pretty much."

Judy added, "But it all depends on how we'll work together."

Finnick crossed his arms, "Buffalo Butt's not going to like this."

Judy questioned, "Buffalo Butt?"

Nick smirked, "Just a fun little nickname we call the captain, but I suggest you don't tell him that when you meet him."

"Gee, you think?" she sarcastically said.

The red fox smirked further, "Can it be that I'm rubbing off of you, Fluff?"

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me anything but Carrots."

"My bad. Sorry, Carrots."

Finnick watched the exchange with confusion and interest, but decided not to think too much of it and said, "Listen, we got to go before a patrol shows up. Make sure you walk three steps behind me." He went on.

Judy whispered to Nick, "Why three steps?"

"Fin likes his space, especially since most mammals are bigger than him. He's afraid of getting stepped on. But don't tell him I know that." he winked.

She just gave him an amused smile as they followed after the fennec.

* * *

Finnick stopped at a large tree and knocked on its wood like he was sending morse code. Just then, a rope ladder appeared before them. The foxes and bunny climbed up and once they reached the top, mammals in tattered clothes held weapons toward them. A large cape buffalo in a faded uniform stepped forth with a plump cheetah wearing a similar faded uniform.

"Well, this should be good," the buffalo spoke sardonically.

Nick mocked a salute, "Good to see you too, Captain. Never mind the fact you didn't stop Big for sending me away in a box."

"What exactly did our king say…" He then noticed Judy and glared, "…and why have you brought a bunny with you?"

"If we can step into your office, I'll explain everything." He flashed a grin.

The large captain grunted and motioned for them to follow. He stepped into a hollow part of the tree that was large enough for a meeting place. The cheetah locked the door behind them as Nick, Judy, and Finnick gathered in the room.

Bogo crossed his arms, "Well?"

Nick said, "Big told me there was a prophecy that might be able to defeat the Mouse King once and for all."

"A prophecy?! That's it?! We're relying on some crystal ball that might be useless?!"

"There's more. See this rabbit? She's Big's goddaughter, and apparently, the prophecy has to do with me and her. Carrots, want to deliver the rest?"

She cleared her throat, "Predator and prey alone are they when ancient grudges set them apart, but not for those who have the same heart… A fox and rabbit may seem wrong, but united, they'll stand strong."

Bogo gaped before scowling, "You mean… we have to rely on a fox that was a traitor and a useless bunny?! To save us from the Mouse King?!"

Judy gasped before angrily replying, "Useless?! I am not useless!"

Bogo lowered his face to her with a doubtful expression, asking, "Do you have any experience in combat or have been trained to fight?"

"Uh…" Then she hung her head and muttered, "No."

Bogo straightened up, "Looks like we'll have to take back the kingdom the hard way, without a so-called prophecy…"

Nick could see that Judy was still hanging her head in shame. He glowered toward the captain and spoke up, "Uh, excuse me, but I believe you have to follow the king's orders no matter what, right?"

"So?"

"So, the king believes in the prophecy. He commanded me and Judy to find you and to tell you about it. But if you don't want to help, fine. Judy and I can handle this without you. You know why? Prophecies are rarely wrong…" He smirked at that last part.

Bogo just frowned.

Nick continued, "But it would seem we have your cooperation now, so that means we don't need to tell Big about how his captain of the guard almost ruined his chances of reuniting with his daughter. And hey, if you feel the bunny is useless, then why not train her so she can fight in combat?"

Judy gaped at the fox. He was willing to help her out so they could make this prophecy come true!

Bogo stood silent for a bit before addressing her with a gruff tone, "What's your name?"

"Judy Hopps."

"Fine. Miss Hopps, your training starts first thing tomorrow morning." He pointed to the cheetah, "Clawhauser will oversee your progress."

She looked back to the soldier, who gave a friendly wave to her and made her smile.

Nick then said, "And we have to sadly report that Lord Emmitt has been taken by the guards this morning and is most likely in the dungeon now."

Bogo sighed, "That's bad. We are losing more mammals by the day. Arrests have increased in the last few days. I've been receiving reports from my sources that the mouse is doing this to force Princess Fru-Fru's paw in marriage."

Judy scowled, "So he's arresting innocent mammals just to marry the princess?!"

Bogo stated in annoyance, "That would be correct."

Nick gestured, "Listen, Captain, it's been a long day for me and Judy, so if you would kindly show us the mess hall to get some eats, that'd be most appreciated. After all, we can't fulfill an ancient prophecy if we're going to starve." He smirked.

The buffalo let out an annoyed grunt and gestured for them to follow him out. But unbeknownst to all of them, a weasel by the name of Duke had been hiding in the room listening in. Once the group was gone, he snuck out of the tree base, ran out of the Rainy Woods, and went to the castle of the Mouse King.

The king was alone when the weasel entered in the throne room.

"Ah, my spy. What have you got to report from the rebel base this time?"

"It's really good, boss. Wilde has returned and with a rabbit."

"Oh, that's not new. I've already encountered the traitor and that bunny when I went to the Burrows."

"But did they say anything about a prophecy that foretold you would be defeated?"

"What?!"

"Yup. Not only that, but it's about Wilde and the bunny. I quote: Predator and prey alone are they when ancient grudges set them apart, but not for those who have the same heart… A fox and rabbit may seem wrong, but united, they'll stand strong."

The mouse was utterly speechless until he began to scowl and tapped his scepter down hard. "I knew I should have gotten rid of that traitor when I had the chance! Duke, I want you to keep a close eye on them and find out what you can about the rabbit, her name or anything else about her!"

"I already got her name. Judy Hopps."

"Judy Hopps? Alright, then. Just make sure you keep watch of her and Nicholas."

Duke saluted, "You got it, boss." He then went out.

* * *

 _ **AN: Obviously this won't be done by Christmas but I hope to finish it before winter break ends.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Judy looked around the large base that was made up of three giant trees with two rope bridges that were attached between them. The mess hall where the rebels ate was crowded and loud. It seemed that even under the rule of a tyrant mouse, mammals would still have fun and be merry.

She commented on that as she sat next to Nick and Finnick, "It's good to see that the mammals of this kingdom haven't lost their spirits during this dark time."

Nick replied, "It's important to boost morale or else we lose the fight."

Judy asked the foxes, "So, have you two known each other since the start of the rebellion?"

Finnick said, "It goes longer than that."

Nick pointed, "He was a friend of my parents. He actually saved my father's life at one point. It made my father so grateful that he offered Fin to live in the palace with him."

Fin responded, "I refused."

Judy questioned, "But why? Living in the palace would have made life simpler for you."

"I just wasn't the type to live in a big fancy place with the rest of those stuffy aristocrats with the exception of Nick and his parents."

"Fin taught me a lot of the outside world while growing up behind palace walls."

Judy said, "The only way I learned about the world was from books."

"Those can be misleading," stated Nick. "Every author who has ever written a book will have their own opinion and are able to influence the reader."

Finnick added, "That's why experience is better."

Judy merely nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

A voice suddenly shouted, "Soup's on!"

Judy turned to see a chubby fox in chef attire pushing a large pot on a cart. Mammals started lining up, including Nick and Finnick.

Once it was their turn, Fin inquired, "Bug stew again, Gideon?"

The fox chef replied loud enough for the whole room to hear, "Well, I did make a blueberry pie for dessert."

There were cheers around the hall.

"Make sure you save a piece for me, Gid." said Nick.

"I'll try, but you know my pies always go so quickly." He noticed Judy behind the foxes, "Who's this?"

"I'm Judy Hopps," she extended her paw.

"Gideon Grey," he shook it. "I'm the base's head cook."

"From what I smell, you're excellent at your job."

"That's mighty kind of you to say, Miss Judy." he smiled.

She returned the smile.

Nick didn't like the friendly exchange that was happening between the two, so he quickly said, "Judy here is going to be in training starting tomorrow, so I'm afraid you won't be able to see her until meal time."

"That's too bad. But I sure wish you the best luck with the training."

Finnick muttered, "She's going to need it."

Judy told the foxes, "I'm sure I'll be able to handle it."

"I hope you can, Carrots, because that was the only way I was able to convince Buffalo Butt to take you seriously."

"I almost forgot to thank you for that, by the way. I was sure he would have forced me to leave had you not jump in like that."

Nick merely shrugged, "Well, it was about time someone reminded him who was really in charge here."

Finnick said, "No kidding. He's always bossing us around whenever the king is out."

Gideon motioned, "I must agree. The Captain may be second-in-command, but he should realize that he tends to abuse his position."

"But he's still better than the Mouse king." said Nick.

Fin pointed, "Sad but true."

Eventually, they ate and managed to get a piece of pie afterwards. Once they were done, Judy said good-night to Gideon before leaving to follow Finnick to show her and Nick around.

They crossed one of the rope bridges as he said, "Those are the barracks where we all sleep and over there is the training area. Next to it is the infirmary, then Buffalo Butt's office and strategy room, and you know where the mess hall is."

"That's it?" Judy questioned.

"When you're in a rebellion, Carrots, you have to remain in hiding, so the less, the better."

"There are just so many mammals here. How can there be enough room?"

Finnick crossed his arms, "There isn't."

Nick explained, "That's why there are shifts. Mammals who are nocturnal can sleep during the day, but can take over at night so the mammals that were up in daylight can rest at night. Make sense?"

Judy nodded, "Yes. Yes, it does."

Finnick gave a yawn, "And right now, it's my turn for sleep." He went toward the barracks.

Nick spoke in baby-talk, "Does Finny need a good-night kiss?"

The fennec glared back at the taller fox, "You kiss me, I bite your face off!" With that, he stomped inside.

"I'll never understand why you like annoying people." the bunny confessed.

He shrugged, "It's just my nature." Then something caught his eye and he uttered, "Uh-oh. Um, Carrots, you might want to look away."

"Why?" She turned to where he was looking and wished immediately she hadn't. A group of mammals came out of the barracks wearing nothing. Their leader was a Yak with flies buzzing around his face. She did a yelp before covering her eyes and turned away. She asked, "Are they gone?"

Nick replied, "Yup."

"Are you sure?" she skeptically asked.

He sighed, "Yes, Carrots."

She carefully looked back and to her relief, no naked mammal was around. Then, she demanded, "What the heck was that?! Mammals running around without clothes on! It's… it's…" She shuddered.

Nick rolled his eyes, "You're overanalyzing the situation. Our ancestors didn't have clothes either, you know."

"Just why were those animals like that?!"

"They are naturalists and there was a whole colony of them until the Mouse King drove them from their home. But like you, some mammals are uncomfortable seeing them like that, so Big asked them to only come out at night so they couldn't be seen in case other mammals weren't asleep."

She uneasily said, "I guess that's good."

"I can tell you'll be going straight to bed after dinner from now on."

"It's a good idea. I don't want a repeat of what happened now."

That made them chuckle and kept on conversing, not realizing a weasel was above them on a tree branch listening to every word they said.

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, Clawhauser found Judy and escorted her to the training hall, where a tough-looking female polar bear was barking out orders to mammals that were larger than Judy. Some were fencing swords with each other or to wooden mannequins, while others were doing target practice with bows and arrows, and the rest were in paw-to-paw combat.

Clawhauser addressed the polar bear, "Sergeant, meet your newest recruit."

The polar bear eyed the bunny, "You call this a recruit?"

"Captain's orders." the cheetah said.

She sighed, "Fine. I'll train this fuzzy bunny."

"Great! I'll be checking in from time to time to see how she's doing." He did a wave goodbye to Judy and she returned it.

When he left, the polar bear started shouting, "Listen up! I'm only going to say this once! When you enter the battlefield, you either survive or you end up dead! Now, it's important to stay alive 'cause we need as many soldiers as we can when we take back the kingdom from the Mouse King! If one of you fails, you all fail! Now… begin!"

The training went underway for Judy as she started to fence with the mannequin, but the dummy got the best of her, causing the sergeant to yell out, "You're dead, bunny bumpkin!"

Next, she tried archery, but kept missing the target, making the polar bear shout, "You're dead, carrot face!"

And finally, she tried combat with a rhino, but failed miserably as was she smacked against the wall, making the sergeant shout, "You're dead, fluff butt!"

* * *

Judy groaned as she tried sitting down for lunch, but she ached everywhere. Nick shortly joined her and asked, "Rough morning, Carrots?"

She moaned, laying her head on the table, "Yes…"

Finnick sat down, commenting, "This is why I'm glad I never volunteered to fight firsthand."

Clawhauser suddenly sat down across from them, "Oh, it's not so bad. Takes some time to get use to, but you'll make it through."

She gave the cheetah a half-smile, "Thanks. That means a lot."

Finnick pointed, "Yeah, but even after days of training, you still have to prove to the sergeant and Buffalo Butt that you got what it takes to fight."

Clawhauser gave a sad nod, "It's true. I know for a fact that the Captain won't let a cute bunny such as yourself out into battle if you don't prove you're more than that."

Judy frowned at the word 'cute' and said, "Bunnies don't like being called cute by other mammals. It tends to be a little weird."

The cheetah gasped, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say it like that to you!"

"Oh, it's alright. Just don't do it again."

Nick suddenly said, "Well, what about beautiful? Or gorgeous? Stunning? Lovely? Would any of those work?"

Judy felt herself going warm as she stammered, "Well, um, I guess any of those synonyms could work as long as the mammal actually thought that of the bunny…" She stared straight at Nick and he ended up staring back at her.

They didn't notice Clawhauser mouthing to Finnick while motioning between the red fox and rabbit. The fennec merely nodded, causing the cheetah to hold his paws to his mouth so he didn't squeal out loud.

Judy then went back to business, "So, um, got any ideas of how I can prove myself to the Captain?"

Finnick spoke, "The best way to do that is to be better than the other trainees."

Clawhauser gestured, "Which means you would have to be the best at everything: sword-fighting, archery, and paw-to-paw combat."

Finnick mentioned, "Lucky for you, you know the best swordsmammal around." He nudged at Nick, who glowered back.

Judy gaped while asking the tall fox, "Are you really the best?"

Nick frowned, "It was a long time ago."

Finnick pointed, "I've watched this guy since he first started out and he became the best in the entire kingdom."

Clawhauser smiled, "I can remember when a bunch of bandits were about to rob the royal coach. A few other guards and I were helpless to stop them, but Baron Nicholas thought quickly and drew his sword. He managed to disarm the bandits while embarrassing them at the same time!" He laughed, "It was incredible!"

Judy was becoming more and more impressed with this fox, who had so rudely addressed her when had they first met. But slowly, she was starting to see what her godfather and Lady Otterton had told her. However, he was still holding back and she was determined to find out why.

"Well, then, that settles it. Nick, I would gladly appreciate it if you could teach me how to swordfight."

Nick faced away from her, "Sorry, Carrots, but those days are over for me."

"Oh. I get it. You don't remember so you can't teach me."

He faced her with an undignified look, "I never said I forgot. I simply don't want to teach anybody."

"Don't want to or can't? Because not everyone is a good teacher, so maybe it's a good thing you don't want to because what would have happen if you had? I would have utterly, hopelessly failed."

"Hey! That's like if you fail, then I fail! You know what? I will teach you, Carrots, and you're going to succeed, proving you're the best of the best to Buffalo Butt!"

She smiled while thinking, _I knew that would get him._


	8. Chapter 8

She fell hard with her back to the ground as the tip of the fencing sword was just inches from her neck.

Nick stated, "That's what happens when you don't concentrate on your opponent." He lifted the sword up so she could get up. "The trick is not to look back."

"What happens if you trip?"

"That's why you got to make sure the enemy is not in a position to muddle you." He handed her the sword she dropped, "Again."

She braced herself as they began to clash swords. They managed to keep at it for a while before Judy felt a stab in her foot and fell down.

"Ow!" she exclaimed.

Nick dropped his sword and rushed to her, "What happened?"

She looked and saw a thorn at the bottom of her foot. Nick saw it too and took hold of her paw, "Just hold still." He gently pulled the thorn out as she winced but didn't whimper. Once it was out, he tore a piece of his shirt to wrap the wounded foot.

"Thank you." she uttered.

He looked back at her with a smirk, "Well, we can't very well have the rabbit that's supposed to be a part of a prophecy to end the Mouse King's reign get an infection in her foot, now can we?"

"It's more than that." She started taking his paw, but he swiftly moved it away, causing her to be confused.

Nick didn't look at her as his own thoughts were swimming in his head, trying to figure out why he felt strange towards the rabbit. When she touched his paw, he felt flustered. He got up and asked, "Think you'll be okay to continue practicing?"

"I think so." She stood up and tested out her foot, which felt sore, but she was able to move it.

"Good, because you're going to need it."

Moments later, they were climbing up the rope ladder. Once they reached the top, they headed to the mess hall for dinner. Something occurred to Judy as she gave a concerned look and said.

"Where do you suppose Big is? He said he would join us, but he hasn't arrived yet."

"Oh, I wouldn't be worried about that old shrew. He can take care of himself, and he's got an entourage of polar bears by his side. He's fine."

"I hope so. He's come this far to get back his daughter and kingdom. I hate for him to lose it all now."

* * *

A cloaked arctic shrew approached a hut where a female pig was stirring a cauldron inside. She was called Hen Wen. She came from a direct line of seers that could see into the future, and was the very diviner that foretold of the prophecy that King Big believed that Nick and Judy were a part of. He entered into the hut.

"I knew you would return." spoke the pig as she kept stirring.

"Great seer, tell me, has the prophecy begun? Is the rabbit and fox that share the same heart the very mammals that I have brought together?"

"That is indeed a mystery that will soon be unveiled." She stirred faster and the water began to glow, revealing figures that look like a rabbit and fox side-by-side. Whether it was Judy and Nick was unclear. "A rabbit and fox may seem wrong, but united, they stand strong." Then two other figures that were a rabbit and fox appeared. "There are two pairs alike in part, but only one will be true to heart."

"You mean…? There's another rabbit and fox?"

"Yes, but they will be mistaken as the ones to defeat the Mouse King."

"But what of Nicholas and Judy? Are they the ones to defeat my enemy or will they be mistaken?"

"The future is forever in motion. It is uncertain if the fox and rabbit you had brought together will have the same heart or if it is the other fox and rabbit that have it."

"Then where can I find this other fox and rabbit?"

She closed her eyes, "You need not to look, for if you go now and join your resistance, they will come to you."

The shrew nodded his head and went.

* * *

For the next few days, Nick helped Judy learn how to swordfight. When she was in training, she showed massive improvement and the sergeant was impressed with how the bunny could disarm her fellow trainees. She even got better in archery and paw-to-paw combat! Clawhauser saw her performance of beating a rhino and reported it back to the Captain with great enthusiasm.

"She's become the best fighter among our ranks! She's bound to defeat the Mouse King now!"

The Captain gave a doubtful expression as he sat up from his seat.

"I'll believe that when she disarms me in a duel."

"But Captain, you told me to oversee her progress and I'm telling you, she's ready."

"Consider this as one final test she has to take." He grabbed his sword and put it on his belt, "Tell Miss Hopps she has one hour to prepare."

The cheetah saluted and went out.

* * *

Nick was prepping Judy as they made their way to the training hall.

"Remember, the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"But I don't want to hurt him. He is the captain, after all."

"You going to have to forget that, because he's going to do everything he can to make sure you fail."

"But to go against the commanding officer of the resistance…"

He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. The motion made Judy blush as she stared up at the fox.

"Carrots, Judy…" Her eyes went wide from hearing her real name. Nick continued, "You have to trust me on this… He may be the leader of the resistance, but he won't take you seriously unless you show him what you're made of. I know you can do this. You talked down to a mouse that invaded your home even when he was more powerful than you. You skated on ice for two hours to win a bet, and you have passed training in less than a week! I heard how you brought down that rhino… You are capable of bringing down the captain. You just need to remember how important it is for you to win."

She stood silent as she took in his words before softly asking, "Will you stay and watch?"

He smirked, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She took a deep breath as she gave off a determined look before entering the hall, where it seemed half of the entire base showed up to watch. Clawhauser was standing by with Finnick and Gideon as Bogo was warming up with his sword and slashed at a dummy, which split in two and fell.

Judy knew then how serious this was and looked back at Nick. He patted her back, giving her some comfort, before he went to join Finnick and the others.

The sergeant then announced to the entire room, "The match between Captain Bogo and Judy Hopps will begin… Now!" She quickly stood back as Bogo began to charge with his sword, but Judy was fast on her feet as she dodged in time.

Then she charged with her sword and it clashed with the captain's sword. Bogo lost his footing as he was pushed back by the force. Judy briefly glanced at Nick, who was giving off an excited look. That helped her to keep going as she jumped up to clash with the captain's sword again. Bogo regained his footing as he clashed down hard so much that he ended up cutting Judy's arm.

She exclaimed in pain while Nick bared his teeth and wanted to go to her, but Fin and Clawhauser had to hold him back.

Judy felt her arm stinging, but she knew she couldn't stop as she lifted her sword high and jumped onto the nearest table. With one big leap, she held out her sword, and with one mighty swing, she knocked the sword out of the cape buffalo's hand.

There was a collective gasp as the large captain ended up staring in bewilderment. Judy landed on the floor and kept holding her sword up until the sergeant announced that she won the match.

There was cheering as Nick, Finnick, Gideon, and Ben along with a few other mammals crowded her to congratulate her. Then, there was a loud amen as they faced the captain, who had a straight face on before it softened as he stepped forward to the rabbit and held out his hand.

Judy looked at it in amazement before smiling and shook it.

"It appears that Clawhauser was right. Even after being injured, you still fought. And that's what I need in a soldier in the king's resistance. You have earned my respect."

That caused the others to gape.

Judy beamed, "Thank you, sir. That means a lot coming from you."

"And I also expect my top soldiers to be fit and well enough for battle. Check into the infirmary to get your arm bandaged and then head over for dinner before turning in for the night."

She saluted, "Yes, sir."

Bogo merely gave a nod before leaving.

* * *

Judy sat on one of the many beds that was in the base's sickbay. A honey badger that was the resistance's medicine mammal had finished wrapping her arm up while Nick watched on.

"Tell me, doc, will she live?"

She rolled her eyes as the honey badger replied, "She's going to be perfectly fine. I applied an ointment to help with the cut so it won't be infected." He told Judy directly, "Just change the bandages for the rest of the week and it'll be all healed up."

"Thank you, doctor," she said.

Once the badger left them alone, Nick pointed, "You know, I'm starting to think that you being in the resistance is a safety hazard."

"One sore foot and a bleeding arm aren't going to stop me from defeating the Mouse King."

A voice said, "That depends if you are the ones defeating the mouse."

They turned to see Big entering with a polar bear escort carrying him.

"Uncle Big!" Judy exclaimed as she went up to him.

Big gave a sad smile, "Hello, goddaughter."

Nick frowned, "Big. About time you showed up. But what do you mean by 'depends if you are the ones defeating the mouse'?"

Big gave a sigh, "I went to see the oracle again, and it turns out there is another fox and rabbit that could be what the prophecy was talking about."

Judy and Nick exchanged looks of confusion before staring at the shrew again.

"She said, 'There are two pairs alike in part, but only one will be true to heart.'"

"So… there's a chance Nick and I… didn't have to pair up to work together?"

"It's possible. Because I knew the both of you, I had hoped for the best that you would prevail. Before I entered into this room, I saw how close you two had gotten since I last saw you and that makes me very happy."

The bunny and fox glanced at each other before slightly smiling, realizing Big spoke the truth. They had come so far since their first meeting. Then, Nick asked, "So are you going to look for this other rabbit and fox now?"

"I don't need to. They're already here with me." He had his escort set him down on a table so he could go out. In minutes, he came back and stood on the side as Big gestured while the rabbit and fox made their appearance, "Judy, Nicholas, this is Jack and Skye."

* * *

 _ **AN: Yup, as in the Jack Savage and Skye from the original concepts of Zootopia.**_


	9. Chapter 9

Judy and Nick stared at the rabbit, who was male and had three dark lines on each of his cheeks of gray fur. His comrade was an arctic female fox with icy blue eyes. The both of them wore tattered clothing and looked exhausted.

Big explained, "I found them on my way here. They were hiding in the woods as they were on the run from the guards that were on patrol."

Jack spoke up, "We were living in the Gingerbread Village when they began ransacking the place and made arrests."

Skye said, "We managed to make a break for it. I wish we could have saved those mammals from being taken to the castle, but there was too many of them."

Nick noted, "Judging from the clothing you're wearing, I take it life in the village wasn't all that good anyway."

Jack huffed, "Not everyone can afford fancy threads like you, Baron."

Nick crossed his arms, " _Ex-_ Baron."

Skye motioned, "We were working in the mill even before the Mouse King took over. Jack and I are orphans, so we spent our whole life there. We managed to pay our way out, but there are so many other orphans that are forced into servitude that we stuck around to help."

Judy touched her heart in awe. That caused a smile on Jack's face, which Nick took to notice much to his displeasure.

Big proclaimed, "Come, I must tell Captain Bogo of this latest development."

* * *

The large cape buffalo gaped, "There's two of them?!"

Big replied on the desk, "That would be correct. Only… one pair is the key to defeating Mortimer while the other pair is mistaken."

Bogo asked, "Well, which pair is which?"

The shrew answered, "That is what the seer was unsure of. I'm afraid at this point, only time will be able to tell us, but I fear there won't be enough of it. As I was traveling to the soothsayer's place, I noticed more of my subjects were taken captive. I was afraid that it was a plot to get my daughter to cooperate with the marriage."

Bogo sadly nodded, "I'm afraid it is, sire. Sir Mchorn managed to send word to me that the Mouse has given your daughter until the end of the week to decide."

The shrew declared, "Then we haven't a moment to lose." He turned to the foxes and rabbits. "Tomorrow, we shall test you on how well each pair works together. The duo that passes will likely be the rabbit and fox that the prophecy spoke of."

* * *

Later that night, Fru gave a sigh as she sat on the bottom of her cage; her lady's maid was fast asleep on a straw mattress of the tower. Suddenly, the tower door carefully opened as the Mouse King entered the room by himself and had the cage lowered so he could face the princess.

"Time is running out, Your Highness. You only get one more day to make your decision."

She bitterly replied, "I am well aware of that, thank you very much."

"As each day went by, I had more mammals working in the mines or fields. Some of them won't last for very long, given their age."

"Age?" she questioned in concern.

"Some of them are elderly and the rest are children."

She gasped, "How could you?!"

"Oh, what does it matter to you? Unless… you are willing to change that by becoming queen and setting them free…" He grinned maliciously.

Fru couldn't take it anymore and covered her eyes to release her tears. She couldn't stand by and let children and elders get hurt any further.

 _I'm sorry, Daddy. I tried giving you more time, but now… For the good of the kingdom, I must do this…_

Once she stopped with the tears, she faced the mouse with her head held high as she said, "As long as I have your promise to not hurt anyone anymore and to stop with the arrests, then… I will marry you…" She gave a curtsy.

The mouse smiled in a wicked way, "You have my word. Tomorrow morning, I will announce to the entire Land of Sweets that you shall be my wife. We will have an engagement ball the following night and then, the wedding."

* * *

Judy could hardly sleep as she thought about all that had happened earlier that day. She was so thrilled to have beaten the captain in the duel and it made her happy knowing Nick was right there watching, giving her the confidence she needed to win. She was so sure that they could defeat the Mouse King as the prophecy had said, only now… there was another fox and rabbit that could be the ones instead.

Skye said so herself that she and Jack knew each other since they were young, but Nick and Judy only knew each other for a short time. Could they pass the test without that long period of time?

Nick was also having trouble sleeping on the other side of the barracks and slowly got up to go outside. The Rainy Woods covered most of the moonlight, but that didn't bother the fox as he had night vision to see clearly. He leaned against the railing as all thought went to him and Judy. He didn't believe in the prophecy at first, but with each day he spent with her, he slowly thought that they could work together and make the foretelling come true.

But doubt was coming back as this recent occurrence had taken place. This new fox and rabbit duo had known each other for a long time while he had only known Judy for about a week. But so much had happened in that week. He got to know her a lot better and understood her hopes and dreams. But would that be enough? What would happen if they failed the test? The whole reason Judy came in the first place was to help her godfather and save his daughter, but if it turned out she didn't have to, then would she even want to still be friends with him?

That was a question Judy was pondering on that very moment. Nick didn't want to pair up with her in the first place, but as they got to know each other better, it seemed it didn't matter anymore. But will it matter if they failed? They planned on defeating the Mouse King together, but if they were the ones mistaken all along, then would she lose Nick's friendship altogether?

Both Judy and Nick didn't get much sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

"A race?" Skye questioned the next morning shortly after breakfast when she, Jack, Judy, and Nick were called into the strategy room where Big, Bogo, and Clawhauser waited.

Big replied, "Yes. Captain Bogo and I thought long and hard last night and the only way we can test both pairs is a race around Rainy Woods. Whoever returns to the base first is likely the duo that the prophecy spoke about."

Jack asked, "When do you want us to start?"

Bogo stated, "Right now."

Nick yawned, "Shouldn't we at least pack provisions or something?"

Judy with bags under her eyes agreed, "He's right. If we're racing around the woods, it'll take us about the rest of the day to get back here."

Bogo said, "Fine. But make it quick."

They headed to the mess hall as Jack commented to the competition, "Are you sure you two are up to this? You both look tired and could pass out any second."

"We're fine." Nick lied. "Isn't that right, Carrots?"

Judy forced a smile, "Right, no worries here."

Skye gave a glance, "Well… if you're sure… Jack and I don't want to have the upper paw if you two are too drained to do anything."

Nick patted the arctic fox's shoulder, not knowing that Judy was giving a concerned look at the touch. He said to Skye, "That's sweet of you to think so, but we got this." However, he felt unsure.

In moments, Gideon had packed them rations. Once Jack and Skye were out of earshot, he whispered to Judy and Nick, "I hope you two win. Best of luck."

That brought a smile to Judy as she replied, "Thank you, Gideon." She then thought, _We're going to need it._

Soon, everyone gathered at the bottom of the base as Bogo explained to the onlookers that each rabbit-and-fox team would race around Rainy Woods and the first pair to come back would be the winners. Finnick and Clawhauser were offering support as Nick and Judy prepared themselves.

Bogo called out, "Racers, are you ready?" The duos gave determined looks as the captain shouted out, "GO!"

They were off and ran straight into the woods, and it seemed that Jack and Skye were in the lead. Judy cursed herself for not getting enough sleep, making her slow.

"What's the hold-up, Carrots?" her partner asked.

"Hold-up? There's no hold-up." she denied as she quickened her pace.

Nick furrowed his brow as he asked, "You wouldn't be thinking of a certain rabbit, would you?"

She looked back in confusion while inquiring, "Certain rabbit? What are you talking about?"

"Yesterday, I notice you were giving Jack the goo-goo eyes."

"What?! No! I wasn't making any goo-goo eyes!" Then she countered, "Are you sure you're not mixing my feelings for your feelings toward Skye?"

He gaped in shock, "What?! Where did that come from?!"

"You patted her shoulder this morning. I can't help but think that it was some kind of love tap."

"Love tap?! That's just nuts, Carrots!"

"Well, you have to admit she is fairly attractive for a vixen, and you are a handsome fox, so…"

His eyes widened, "Whoa, whoa! You think I'm handsome?!"

She felt going warm as she stammered, "Well, um, in a way. Compared to other foxes I've seen, you, well, stand out…" She turned her head away in embarrassment.

Nick was stunned that Judy thought of him as good-looking. Then he asked, "What about Jack? Is he as handsome as rabbits come?"

She looked back with a frown, "I guess he is. I never really noticed." She kept pacing on.

This brought a smile to the fox's lips before wiping it off when she looked back again and started asking, "Why do you-" But suddenly, with a shriek, she fell out of his sight.

"JUDY!" he panicked as he raced to where she fell. To his horror, she was entangled in a huge spider web!


	10. Chapter 10

"Judy!" he called out.

"Stay where you are!" she ordered while being stuck in sticky webbing.

"Well, how am I supposed to get you out?!"

"Use your claws to cut the web! And hurry! Judging from how sticky this web is, the spider will be back soon!"

"Spiders…" Nick muttered as he carefully walked around the hole and reached down with his sharp claws to start cutting, "Why did it have to be spiders…?"

Judy questioned as she heard his mutters, "Don't predators eat bugs? And a spider is an insect…"

"First off, they're arachnids, and second, predators don't eat bugs that are bigger than them!"

With each cut, the web loosened. When Judy nearly fell out, Nick caught her paw and hoisted her up. They didn't waste a second to get away. Once they were sure they were a distance from the spider's web, they decided to stop to rest and to eat the food Gideon gave them. When they felt refreshed, they set out again.

"Think Jack and Skye are ahead of us?" Judy asked.

"I don't know. We did run a couple of miles just to get away from that spider. We could have run past them and not even noticed."

She giggled. That did seem pretty likely.

They kept pacing side-by-side when suddenly, Nick fell into quicksand!

"Carrots!"

She gasped and quickly grabbed for a vine to wrap around herself. Just as Nick was swallowed up, she dived right in. In mere seconds, they emerged, gasping for air.

They lied on the hard ground to catch their breath.

Judy coughed, "I guess this makes us even."

Nick turned his head to face her, stating, "We've always been even, Judy."

She looked back at him with intrigue, asking softly, "What do you mean?"

He slowly sat up and she followed. He stared intensely at her, which caused a shiver down her spine, "Isn't it obvious? We managed to top each other ever since we met, we think alike, and don't tell anybody else this, but you could easily rival me with your swordfighting skills."

She covered her mouth in shock before she uttered, "Are you serious?"

He nodded his head before getting up completely and holding out his paw for her. She took it as he helped her up, but then in a sudden move, he swept her off her feet. Her heart leapt at the feeling of being closer to him than ever.

"Nick… why…?"

"You seemed tired and it's payment for saving my life just now. Besides, it'll help us go faster." he smirked.

She couldn't help but smirk back and didn't put up a fight as she wrapped her paws around his neck for support.

Nick was enjoying the touch as he moved forward. Judy hardly weighed anything at all, but he knew better than to judge her size, given she was able to bring down mammals that weighed tons more.

It felt so right to be in his arms that she couldn't get enough of it. Nick had walked for some time when Judy picked up the sound of stampeding coming from behind them. She tuned her ears to the sound and it sounded like it was getting closer. She jumped out of Nick's arms and moved him into some bushes. They had ducked in time before a patrol rushed past them.

Nick wiped his brow, "Whew, that was close."

She smiled, "Well, these ears aren't just accessories, you know." She started to crawl out when Nick pulled her back in.

"Wait." He sniffed the air and sure enough, a pig sentry with food stains on his uniform lagged behind the pack. Once he was out of sight, the duo came out of their hiding place.

Judy smirked straight at her partner, "Clever fox."

He touched the tip of his nose, "I think you mean 'clever nose'."

She shook her head in amusement as they kept going.

It was almost nightfall when they had reached the base, and once they climbed up the ladder, there was Jack and Skye already there talking to Big and Bogo.

Nick frowned, "Guess this means we lost…"

Judy muttered, "Yeah…"

Fin and Clawhauser rushed to the pair.

Ben said, "What happened to you two? Jack and Skye came back, like, an hour ago!"

Judy replied, "We… ran into some obstacles."

Nick clarified, "And by obstacles, we mean a giant spider's web, quicksand, and a patrol that was in the forest!"

Finnick nodded, "There was a reason for that. We received word while you were gone that Princess Fru-Fru is going to marry the Mouse King within two days!"

Judy gasped, "Oh, no!"

Nick shook his head.

Skye then came up to them, "There you two are. We were starting to worry!"

Big stated, "I feared that something happened just as horribly as my daughter's engagement to my enemy."

Bogo said, "There's going to be an engagement ball tomorrow night. Our plan is to intercept then before the wedding."

Nick said in a detached voice, "Well, now that you have your prophesized rabbit and fox, that shouldn't be hard for you…" He started going and was walking on the rope bridge before Judy caught up to him.

"Nick, wait! Just because we weren't the ones the prophecy spoke about that doesn't mean we can't still fight! The Mouse King still needs to be overthrown and the resistance needs all the help it can get!"

Nick faced away from her, "Carrots…all my life, I was told what I can and cannot be. When I thought the prophecy was talking about us, I thought maybe… just maybe we could be heroes because we wanted to be… but then… it tells us we were nothing but a mistake…"

Her eyes widened at that last word and her heart felt like it was breaking into two.

"We had a good run, but it just wasn't meant to be…" He kept going without looking back while Judy stood there.

She leaned against the bridge as tears threatened to spill until she felt the bridge wiggling. She had a moment of hope when she thought it was Nick coming back, but when she turned her head, she saw a weasel next to her.

"Hello?" she said in confusion.

"We haven't met, but I'm Duke Weaselton."

"You were a duke before the Mouse King took over?"

"Nah, that's just my name. I was actually a servant in the castle when that terrible mouse took over."

"Well, my name is Judy Hopps."

"I know who you are. In fact, the whole entire base knows who you are, given how you defeated the captain in that duel."

She tittered in embarrassment, "Well, I don't exactly relish in his defeat."

"Ah, the big blowhard had it coming to him, but anyway, is it true you're part of a prophecy that could defeat the Mouse King?"

"I was, but it turns out that it was a…mistake…" She faltered with that last word.

"Hmm… but do you know that for sure?"

"We had a race to determine who the true fox and rabbit was and Jack and Skye got back here first, proving they were the ones the prophecy foretold."

"I take it, though, you want to offer assistance in any way you can at this point since you're not what the prophecy spoke about. Maybe you could help by finding a way into the castle so they can rescue the princess!"

"How? I've never been to the castle."

"But I have. I know for a fact there are secret passages that not even the royal family and the court knew about!"

"Then why haven't you said anything? It could have been a huge help before."

"Because I'm just a lowly servant and a weasel. Nobody would take my word seriously, but… you could. You've earned the captain's respect, so he's bound to listen to you. But may I suggest doing a trial run in order to know where you're going?"

She pondered on that, "That would be a good idea… And I do want to help, even if I was just a mistake to the prophecy. Alright, show me where the castle is."

* * *

Jack and Skye sat at a table as Gideon poured soup for them.

"I hear congratulations are in order. Turns out you were the ones the prophecy wanted."

Jack said, "Not that I'm not for defeating the Mouse King and all, but it does feel a bit sudden."

Skye pointed, "It's true. One moment, we were sitting peacefully around our village and helping the orphans, and the next minute, we're in a race to prove who the fox and rabbit are in the prophecy. It's hard to believe we were the chosen ones all along."

Jack nodded, "Judy and Nick had time to embrace it, but for us, it's overwhelming."

Gideon asked, "So because you two knew each other for a long time, have you ever been a couple?"

The two blushed while shouting, "NO!"

Skye stammered, "We're just friends, nothing more."

Jack motioned, "Right. Besides, it would be awkward."

Skye pointed, "We're able to work together because we have to."

"Our friendship means a great deal and we don't want it to change."

Gideon stated, "Understood." Then he went to the table where Clawhauser, Finnick, Nick, and Judy sat, but he noticed the rabbit was missing. He questioned, "Where's Judy?"

Clawhauser answered, "I'm not sure. I haven't seen her since she and Nick came back."

Nick gave a concerned look. He knew it was unlike Judy to miss a meal, but then he remembered what he told her and figured he must have upset her. He sighed, "I think I know what happened. Think you can save a bowl so I can give it to her after dinner?"

Gideon smiled, "Of course."

* * *

Judy and Duke hid in some bushes that was some distance from the castle, which was heavily guarded.

Duke pointed to his left, "The passage to the cellar should be right here." He opened a hidden trap door that was covered in grass. He went down and she followed after him.


	11. Chapter 11

The cellar was dark and damp and it was hard for Judy to see. She wished in that moment she had Nick's night vision. But remembering what he said to her, she had to press forward. Hopefully because she was delivering information about the secret passages, that would convince Nick that he could still be a hero for the resistance…just not in the way he thought.

Luckily, she was able to spot a torch and lit it.

"This way," said Duke as he touched a panel on the wall and a passage came into view.

"Where does the passage go?" she asked.

"To the throne room." he led the way.

As they walked on, she noticed two small holes shining light coming from the wall and investigated by looking through the holes. Little did she know she was peeking through eye-holes that were attached to a portrait of Princess Fru-Fru. They were looking out to a hallway where a certain rhino guard was standing guard.

"Come on!" Duke called back in a near-whisper.

She step away from the eye-holes and followed after the weasel.

* * *

Nick carried the soup bowl to the barracks to find Judy, but she wasn't there. Then he tried the training hall and the infirmary, but she wasn't there either. With his concern growing more, he went to the strategy room where Bogo and Big were going over plans.

"Big, have you seen Judy?"

The shrew furrowed his brow, "I thought she was with you."

"No, and she's not anywhere on the base!"

Big rubbed his chin, "That is most concerning. I pray that she'll be back soon."

 _Sooner, I hope…_ Nick thought.

* * *

Duke pushed a small wall forward that was actually the back of a bookcase. But he didn't push it all the way out, given they heard voices coming from the throne room. Judy peeked in to see the mouse sitting on a tiny throne with a shrew in pretty clothing next to him looking unhappy.

The mouse said to the female black sheep that was holding many colored fabrics.

"We shall have orange and green for the wedding colors and my suit shall be made of the same colors."

The sheep replied, "At once, Your Majesty." She bowed and left the room.

The mouse turned to the princess, "Are you looking forward to the ball, dearest?"

Fru crossed her arms, "As a matter of fact, I am not. I'm only doing this so you can stop hurting my subjects."

Judy held a paw over her heart and admired the princess's sacrifice of her own happiness for that of her people's.

"You always did have a soft heart, my dear. But don't worry. You'll come to love me."

Fru turned away from him and said, "I would like to go back to my tower now."

The mouse sighed, "Very well, dear. Guard!"

McHorn entered and took the princess into his hand. Once they left, Judy and Duke shut the bookcase.

"Is there a passage to the tower?"

"There is, but it'll be hard to get to. Why?"

"Now that I've seen the princess, maybe I can help her escape from here and then there would be no reason for Godfather to hold back and Jack and Skye could defeat the Mouse King!"

"That's… brilliant!" Duke proclaimed.

"So which way do we go?"

Duke smirked as he gestured her to follow.

They climbed up a stairway, and just as Judy thought they would never make it, Duke came to a wall and pressed on a panel. It opened and Judy went in to see an empty tower room with nothing but a spinning wheel in the middle.

"Where's the princess?" she questioned.

Duke shrugged.

Judy was about to leave when the spindle started glowing green, causing her to be mesmerized by it. She slowly lifted her paw toward the needle…

* * *

Nick was pacing back and forth. Something was wrong, he just knew it. He stood by the railing as he kept watch for Judy. He didn't know why, but he had a terrible feeling in his gut like someone stabbed him with a sword. He kept on pacing, hoping the feeling was merely indigestion.

* * *

Mortimer examined the bunny that had collapsed to the floor. He turned to the weasel, "Well done, my spy. With Miss Hopps out of the way, the chances of her and Nicholas bringing about my defeat will be none."

"But what about the other rabbit and fox?"

"Oh, I got a special spell just for them…" The mouse struck his scepter, "Which is why I'm having the ball. I knew Big wouldn't have been able to resist trying to save his daughter before it was too late, so when they begin the attack tomorrow, I will have finally captured the last of the rebels and Big himself! From there, no one would dare challenge me again and I will finally be the rightful ruler of the Land of Sweets!"

"So, um, what are we going to do about the bunny?" he pointed to the unconscious Judy.

"Don't worry. A simple teleportation spell shall bring her back as a warning to all who go against me." He waved his scepter and Judy disappeared.

* * *

Nick decided he couldn't wait anymore and went down to the ground to see if he could spot her. But just as he was about to move forward, something appeared before him in a flash. When it was gone, he gasped.

"Judy!" he rushed to her limp form. "Judy! Wake up!" He slightly shook her and patted her cheeks, but nothing he did made her stir.

In minutes, he got her to the infirmary where the doctor overlooked her while Big, Bogo, Clawhauser, Finnick, Jack, Skye, and Gideon watched on with worry.

Nick was right by Judy's side and held her paw until he felt something wet and noticed blood coming out of her finger.

"Doc, what do you make of this?" he inquired.

The honey badger examined it and stated in a solemn tone, "She pricked her finger."

They gasped with Clawhauser saying, "You mean to say she's under the sleeping curse?!"

The doctor nodded his head in sorrow.

Big shook his head, "It's a powerful spell, and only Judy's true love can break it…"

Bogo, Gideon, Finnick, and Clawhauser ended up staring at Nick.

The red fox asked, "What?"

Clawhauser motioned, "Come on, Nicholas. You and she have been inseparable since you two got here!"

Gideon said, "You always talk together at mealtimes."

Fin pointed, "More than with me, I might add."

Nick sputtered, "Oh, come on, that means nothing! That's what friends do!"

Jack spoke, "Yes, it is, but… In the last couple of days since we came here, we've seen how close you and Judy have been."

Skye nodded, "It's true. You two may be friends, but there's something else, too…"

Nick looked at his comrades, who slowly nodded.

Big said, "Nicholas, you could be our only hope of saving her."

Nick looked down at the sleeping Judy and thought about all they had done together. He wanted to believe so badly that he was Judy's true love, but he was afraid that if he kissed her and she didn't wake up, then he would feel shattered of never having Judy as his own.

He slowly backed away and ran out of the room.

* * *

Fru stood in front of a mirror as she was trying out her wedding dress, but she found no joy in it.

She uttered softly, "I always thought my wedding day would be the happiest day of my life… My father would have walked me down the aisle and into the arms of my true love… But now…" She started crying.

The sheep that had been showing the fabrics handed her princess a small handkerchief, "Things will work out, Your Highness. I bet your father will storm the castle any second now and rescue you from this awful fate."

"At this rate, he's going to need a miracle."

"Yes, a miracle would be wonderful right about now."


	12. Chapter 12

Nick stared up at the moon and was tormented by his thoughts. He hoped that by looking up into the night sky, it would somehow give him the answers he seeked.

Just then, his least favorite mammal came up to him, stating, "Don't think I don't know what you call me behind my back, Wilde."

He turned to face the captain and challenged, "Oh? And what would that be?"

Bogo crossed his arms, "Buffalo Butt."

"Let me guess, Clawhauser told you?"

"He did, but I have also been aware of it for a long time, Baron Wilde."

"But I'm not a baron anymore."

"And the mouse declared I wasn't a captain anymore, but that's not the truth. He's a false king, so his words don't mean a thing. But only you can decide you want be a baron or not. But I'm willing to bet it didn't matter to Hopps whether or not you were of nobility."

Nick had wide eyes as he found himself saying, "You know… it was like for the first time in my life, I could be myself around her. No protocol or hiding my emotions… It was just me and her…"

"I know it was you who helped her with swordfighting. I recognized some of the moves she made during our duel and I also saw how you wanted to protect her when I accidentally cut her arm. Not unlike what a mammal does for his mate."

Nick felt himself blushing. It was true. That day when she was fighting the captain and she got hurt in the process, he wanted to jump in and protect her from further harm.

"So it's obvious you do love her, so why can't you kiss her?"

Without stopping his mouth, he said, "Because I don't know if she loves me…"

The cape buffalo rubbed his chin, "Ah… that makes sense… You're afraid that even if you do kiss her, she won't wake and that would tell you that she never loved you as you love her…"

Nick looked down, feeling so lost on what to do.

"Did she ever give you any reason to doubt that she would ever love you?"

Nick started opening his mouth, but then closed it because as he was thinking back, he found that nothing seemed like Judy did display any emotion that she didn't like being next to him. Well, other than the times that he was being rude to her. But when they first laid eyes upon each other, she seemed intrigued with him as she stared right at him with those sparkling eyes of hers. Then as he apologized to her, she lit up as she became more accepting and friendly to him. Since then, they enjoyed each other's company so much that he found it hard to be apart from her.

Even now he longed for her to be here by his side, awake and full of life.

Bogo spoke again, "I cannot force you. I will not command you like the captain I am. This decision must be straight from the heart. You must decide if you want to kiss her or not. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare for battle. I wish you the best of luck."

Once the large mammal left, Nick thought over what he said. Had it been Clawhauser or Finnick, he wouldn't have listened to a word they said because they would have tried to convince him to kiss Judy. But he knew Captain Bogo was straightforward and he did point out the choice was his alone.

* * *

The very next night, Big and Bogo rallied their troops together. Jack and Skye were dressed up regally as they were to enter the castle as guests for the engagement ball. As they were about to leave, they stopped by the infirmary where the brave sleeping bunny was.

"She would have done anything to save this kingdom," said Skye.

"It's up to us now. We must not let her sacrifice be in vain," proclaimed Jack.

"Agreed."

The fox and rabbit left to join the squad, which consisted of a large number of mammals, including Finnick and Clawhauser. They reached the castle where dressed-up guests entered through the gates. Jack and Skye took that as their cue and joined the crowd. Once the last of the guests were in, the gates went down and a force field surrounded the castle.

The ballroom was crowded as guests conversed among themselves or were enjoying the buffet table. The band started playing and Jack and Skye decided to join in the dance to keep their cover from being blown.

Skye said as they swayed to the music, "Remember our first dance at the cheese festival?"

Jack smiled, "How could I forget? You kept stepping on my feet."

She rolled her eyes, "Besides that, it was a nice dance, wasn't it?"

Jack's smile faltered a bit, "I suppose…It was a dance among friends, wasn't it? Meant for fun…"

Her smile faltered this time, "Right… for fun…"

They kept dancing until the music stopped and then the trumpets blew, announcing the arrival of the host.

The Mouse King and Princess Fru-Fru were carried in by two large escorts before setting them on a table, which enabled them to oversee the whole ballroom.

The mouse amplified his voice by the use of his scepter and declared to the entire room, "Good evening! I would like to thank you all for attending the engagement ball of my fiancée and myself. We are thrilled to celebrate as our wedding will take place first thing in the morning!"

There were mutters of concern, which the Mouse King frowned at and tapped on the bottom of the scepter. Large lightning bolts burst from his scepter and went up in the air, making the room gasp. When they died down, the room forcibly applauded.

Skye uttered, "Jerk."

Jack whispered, "Then let's stop him from being more of a jerk than he already is."

They carefully made their way past the guests to the entrance, unaware a weasel was watching their every move.

* * *

Nick entered the infirmary and slowly made his way to Judy, who was still sleeping on the bed. He sat down beside her and made sure they were absolutely alone before he spoke softly.

"Judy Hopps, you have no idea what you've done to me. I have fallen hopelessly in love with you and I'm afraid that if I kiss you and you don't wake up, that will tell me that you could never return my love. But… it's a risk I'm willing to take for you. I care about you so much that I will do everything within my power to see you awake again. If I am not the one for you, then I would search for the one who is meant to be with you. No matter how much it hurts me, your happiness and safety is all I need." He sighed, "Here goes nothing…" He lowered his muzzle down and pressed his lips gently onto hers. It was short and sweet as he lifted his face up and waited.

Nothing seemed to happen and Nick gave a disappointed sigh, but then suddenly, he saw her stirring and his heart raced in excitement.

Her amethyst eyes fluttered open and she looked at her surroundings in confusion.

"How… how did I get here?" She turned to see Nick, who was crying, and asked in concern, "Nick? What's wrong? Why are you…?" But she didn't get to finish as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and uttered.

"You dumb, wonderful bunny…"

Once he let go of her, he smiled at her before turning serious, "You were under a sleeping curse."

"Sleeping curse?"

He nodded, "And true love's kiss was the only way to revive you."

"True love's…?" Then she blushed furiously as she covered her face and muttered, "Nick, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out this way…"

He just gave a tiny smirk, asking, "Just how long?"

She slowly looked up at his shining emerald eyes, "Since… your apology. I didn't think I was falling, but as time went on…" Then a thought occurred to her, "But if you didn't know ahead of time… Why did you kiss me?"

He was his turn to blush and rubbed his neck awkwardly, "I've more or less fallen in love with you, too."

Her eyes widened, "How long?"

"Honestly? I think it was the first time we've met. It didn't occur to me until Captain Bogo made some interesting points about us. It's crazy, but everyone around us knew before we did that we were in love." Then he asked, "Now I'm curious about what exactly happened to you that made you fall under a sleeping curse in the first place?"

"I don't remember much about what happened, but I was trying to get information about the secret passageways in the castle."

"The passageways? Carrots, the passageways were sealed off by the Mouse King when he made his force field around the castle. Who told you about them?"

"A weasel by the name of Duke."

"Duke Weaselton?! Carrots, that guy is working for the mouse!"

"Well, if that's true, why was he here on the base?"

His eyes widened in shock as a revelation came to him, "No wonder we had to move our base around! Duke was able to hide among us and told our locations to the mouse!"

"And he knew about the prophecy! He led me to the castle where the passages were!"

"From there, he baited you and you fell under the curse!" Nick gnashed his teeth.

She covered her face again, "I feel so stupid…"

"No. It's my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone." He wrapped his arms around her in comfort and she snuggled against his chest. He stroked her ears as he said, "So what if a prophecy says we're mistaken. I see now that we're not a mistake of any kind."

She smiled at his words and sighed fondly before asking, "Are you going to tell them about Duke?"

"It's too late for that. They've already left."

"What?!" She moved out of his grasp and sat up, "We have to hurry and warn them! Duke is going to know everything about the attack!"

"You mean I'll warn them! You're staying right here!"

"No way!"

"I almost lost you once. I don't want to lose you forever!" Tears formed in his eyes.

She gaped at those tears before releasing a small smile and went to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing him in one swift move.

"You won't lose me, now that I finally found you… And you want to know something? Before I fell asleep, my thoughts drifted to you. And that I was sorry that I didn't tell you sooner how much I love you."

His eyes widened, and then he smiled in pleasure.

She continued, "We're in this together. Nick, let me go with you so I won't be afraid of losing you the way you almost lost me."

He sighed before giving a single nod. With paws entwined, they rushed out of there, hoping they were not too late.


End file.
